1. سَليتُ ذا القلبَ العميد فما سلا

    وعذلْتُه فأبى يُطيعُ العُذّلا

    I consoled this love-stricken heart, but it found no solace.

    And I reproached it, but it refused to obey the reproachers.

  2. وزجرتُ ذا القلب الجريح فما ارعوى

    وكفَفْتُ ذا الجِفنَ القريحَ فقال لاَ

    And I rebuked this wounded heart, but it would not desist.

    And I restrained this sore eyelid, but it said no.

  3. ليت الحداة غداة راحة ما حدوا

    والركب ما حث القلاص البزلا

    Would that the camel-drivers, on the morning of rest, had not sung,

    and the caravan had not urged on the mature she-camels.

  4. مُذْ قِيل لي رحلت رُدينةُ خانني

    صَبْري ولم أكُ راضياً أن ترْحَلاَ

    Since I was told, 'Rudayna has departed,' I was betrayed

    by my patience; I was not content that she should leave.

  5. رحلوا بمُثْقَلَةٍ الروادف خُفّفْ

    خصْراً فما أحلى الخفيفَ المُثْقلاَ

    They departed with a woman heavy of haunches, made slender

    at the waist—how lovely the slender yet full-hipped one!

  6. وسروَا بها يُخفونَ خطو مطيهم

    والليلُ حينَ جَلَتْ ترائبها أنجلا

    And they travelled with her by night, concealing their mounts' steps;

    and night cleared when she bared her upper breast.

  7. هم عَطَّروا الوادي الذي عبروا به

    فتُرابُه مِسْكُ يِفوحُ ومِندلاَ

    They perfumed the valley through which they passed,

    so its dust is wafting musk and aloeswood.

  8. يا ليتهُم حَبَسُوا المطي ولو عَلى

    بصري ولا تفلْي بهم عرض الفلاَ

    Would that they had held the mounts back, even upon

    my eyes, and not let the mounts carry them across the desert's breadth.

  9. شتانَ مَا بيني وبين أحبّتِي

    ليسَ المُعافى يستوي والسُبنَلى

    How vast the gulf between me and my loved ones!

    The healthy is not equal to the afflicted [uncertain reading].

  10. قالوا هجرتَ الراحَ قلتُ هجرتها

    وعَفَفْتَ شهر صيامهم إذ أقبلا

    They said, 'You have forsaken wine.' I said, 'I have forsaken it.'

    And you abstained during their month of fasting, when it came.

  11. وغدا إذا شوّال جَاء وَجَدتَني

    بين الدنان مقمّصاً ومُسَرْبلا

    And tomorrow, when Shawwal comes, you will find me

    among the wine jars, shirted and robed.

  12. والشيخ ليس تزيد توبتُه على

    شهرٍ ولو كان الجُنيدُ الأفضلاَ

    And the old man's repentance lasts no longer than

    a month, even if he were al-Junayd, the most virtuous.

  13. هي شربُ سُكّانِ الجنانِ وسَائلوا

    عن ذاك من قرأ الكتابَ المُنْزلاَ

    It is the drink of the dwellers in the Gardens; ask

    about that whoever has read the revealed Book.

  14. ما لي ومَا لتهامةٍ كَسَدَ الثنا

    فيها وعاود كلُّ بابٍ مُقْفَلاَ

    What have I to do with Tihama? Praise has gone unsold

    there, and every door has become locked again.

  15. والشعرُ لي فإذا شَعَرْتُ فواجبٌ

    أن أمدحَ الملكَ المظفر أوّلا

    And poetry is mine; whenever I compose, it is my duty

    to praise King al-Muzaffar first.

  16. ويَقلُّ شعري عن أقلِّ صفاته

    لو أنّني كنتُ البُعَيْثَ وجَرولاَ

    Yet my poetry falls short of the least of his qualities,

    even were I al-Bu'ayth and Jarwal.

  17. ماذا عسى طرسي وأين أساطري

    مِمن سحاب سَماحِه ملأ الملا

    What can my parchment do, and where do my lines stand

    beside one whose cloud of generosity has filled the world?

  18. يا عيسُ أمّي بي تعزَّ ويُوسفاً

    تَجدي الخمائل والزلاَل السّلْسلاَ

    O pale camels, take me to Taizz and Yusuf;

    you will find leafy groves and pure water, smooth to drink.

  19. وتُقابلي وجهَ الفلاَحِ وتبصري

    بحرَ السَّماح وتجتلي شمس العُلا

    And you will face the countenance of success and behold

    the sea of generosity, and gaze upon the sun of glory.

  20. مَلِكُ أبو ملك أبوه بعلمكم

    ملكٌ تتوج بالعُلاَ وتسَرْبلا

    A king and father of a king, whose father, as you know,

    was a king, crowned and robed in glory.

  21. نادته أطرافُ الثغورِ فشَدّها

    خيلاً وساق لكل ثغرٍ جحفلا

    The outer reaches of the frontiers called to him, so he strengthened them

    with cavalry, and sent a great army to every frontier.

  22. وكتائباً بِدَثْينةٍ وكتائباً

    قد زلزت بيشاً فبات مُزَلزلا

    And battalions in Dathina, and battalions

    that shook Bish, so it spent the night trembling.

  23. وبأهل حَلْي رُعدةٌ من خوفه

    والبِرْك لو سمع المصفق هَرْولاَ

    And the people of Haly tremble for fear of him;

    and al-Birk would hurry if it heard the hand-clapper.

  24. وخطيبُ مكةَ ليس يذكر يُوسفاً

    إلاّ وكَبّر مَنْ هناك وهلَّلاَ

    And Mecca's preacher never mentions Yusuf

    without those there proclaiming God's greatness and oneness.

  25. والغورُ من عدنٍ إلى خَبْفي مِنىً

    ملأته خيل جنوده حتى امتلاَ

    And the lowland, from Aden to Khabfi [unclear reading] at Mina,

    was filled by his troops' horses until it brimmed.

  26. فسُعوده فوق السعود وملكُه

    فوق التبابع والأكاسرة الأولى

    So his lucky stars rise above all lucky stars, and his dominion

    above the Tubba' kings and the Kisras of old.